Situated in the globalized, modern, and vibrant
city of New Delhi, Mira Nair’s Monsoon
Wedding follows the events of a middle-class Indian family as they prepare
for the marriage of their beloved daughter, Aditi. As the extended family of
the bride and groom begins to come together from all corners of the globe for
this special occasion, Nair effectively portrays some of the challenges people
from the same ethnic background can face in today’s globalized world when
traditional customs clash with modern values. Through these conflicting
cultural differences that is clearly seen in the arranged marriage, the modernized
city, and the diaspora family, Nair suggests that in the clashes between
traditional and modern values, it is important that we maintain a healthy
balance between the two with an open-mind.
The arranged marriage between Aditi and
Hemant during the movie provides insight on how both modern views and
traditional values could bear the same problems. It is obvious from the
beginning of the film that Aditi is largely influenced by westernized views as
portrayed through her non-traditional street clothes and reading of Cosmopolitan
magazine (Sharpe 70). Similar to the
values shared in western cultures, Aditi is driven by her individualistic
desires to make her own decisions in life, as demonstrated in her affair with a
married television producer, Vermat. But, as Aditi soon realizes, her affair with
Vermat is an imprudent choice given his instability and continual failure to
divorce his wife. As a result, she decides to trust her family’s decision in an
arranged marriage because it is traditionally believed in India that the
family’s choice is always for the good of their children’s future (Sharda 23).
However, despite deciding to go forward with an arranged marriage with the
traditional Indian wedding proceedings, her future husband remarks to Aditi
that all marriages can involve an element of risk (Monsoon Wedding). Regardless if it was an arranged marriage or a
love marriage, any marriage can have the possibility of failing. In saying so,
Nair evokes the idea that both traditional and modern values poses their risks
and that perhaps one should not choose to embrace solely on one set of values,
but be open and accepting to other values as well.
In the metropolitan city of New
Delhi where the film is set, Nair deliberately depicts the clashes between
Indian tradition and western modernity to present the importance of seeking a
balance across different cultural perspectives. Throughout the film, “computers
and cellphones used by people who continue to live a cultural life” (Geller 43)
overwhelm New Delhi’s riotous streets. These scenes of a fast-paced, modernized
India convincingly highlight how age-old customs such as wearing saris and
modern technologies like using emails co-exist under the same time-space (Sharpe 59). Furthermore, during
one of the opening sequences of the film, the camera pans towards the monitor
screens as the hosts of a television show begin debating on a social topic
regarding censorship in Indian media (59). This use of this framing not only
emphasizes the power of mass media in globalizing India, but also the ongoing conflict
between western and traditional values. The debate presents two opposing perspectives.
One panelist strongly approves of censorship, arguing that it will threaten India’s
traditions, while another panelist strongly disapproves of censorship using the
United States’ first amendment as an example. Through this discussion of
opposing views and the imminent impact of mass media in India, Nair suggests
that globalization works as long as modern and traditional ideas are balanced.
The reunion of the family members coming
from America, Australia, and the Middle East further demonstrates the clash
between traditional and modern ideas. For example, the director shows the
internal conflict of Rahul, Aditi’s cousin from Australia, who had become so
integrated into western values that he has trouble interacting with the rest of
the family members who subscribe to traditional customs. Throughout the film,
Rahul only wears Western clothes. Rahul wears his western-styled suit even at
the traditional wedding ceremonies, where the men are expected to be dressed in
their traditional Indian gowns. This showcases his lack of interest in
integrating back with his traditional identity after abandoning it for five years.
His flirtatious relationship with Alyssa further adds to this point further
adds to this point. During the wedding ceremony, when Varun, Alyssa’s dance
partner, suddenly withdraws from the dance choreography, Alyssa asks Rahul to
perform with her, as she knew that he could dance. However, Rahul rejects her
invitation saying: “This is not a night club in Melbourne, I can’t dance to
this kind of music” (Monsoon Wedding). Thus, it is evident that Rahul’s departure
from India and assimilation into western cultures has led him to abandon some
of the traditional customs that most Indian men should follow. But his final
decision to disregard his lack of understanding of Indian dances and to join
his family in the traditional dance reveals his acceptance in embracing his
western cultural differences whilst still appreciating his Indian customs. Consequently,
Nair stresses the importance of seeking to find a balance between western
values and traditional customs. If one becomes too distant from one’s
traditional culture, one will lose the connection with to one’s heritage.
In conclusion, Monsoon Wedding reveals that even a society with deep cultural
roots can still function effectively if they are able to find a balance between
modernized values whilst having an appreciation for their traditional heritage.
From Nair’s vivid contrasts of the clashing of western modernity and
traditional values as depicted through an arranged marriage, a globalizing
India, and a diaspora Indian extended family, she exposes the fact that both
age-old customs and modern values can have their limitations. However, if one maintains
an open-mind and is accepting towards the two, both cultures can dynamically
coincide with one another and serve to enrich our lives. As Nair establishes,
culture is just about as complex as the people who embraces it. Thus, similar to
many things in life, it is necessary find a balance so that one can enjoy the
strengths of tradition while still welcoming the fact that the culture is
changing.
Works Cited
Geller,
Conrad. "Monsoon Wedding by Mira Nair; Caroline Baron; Sabrina
Dhawan." Cinéast.e 27.4 (2002):
43-44. Web.
Monsoon Wedding. Dir. Mira Nair. USA Films, 2011. DVD.
Morris, Mark.
"Monsoon Wedding 1." English
123. University of Alberta, Edmonton.15 October 2014. Lecture.
Sharda, Bam Dev. "Marriage
Markets And Matrimonial: Match Making Among Asian Indians Of The United
States." International Journal of
Sociology of the Family. 20.1 (1990): 21-29. Web.
Sharpe, Jenny.
"Gender, Nation, and Globalization in Monsoon Wedding and Dilwale
Dulhania Le Jayenge." Meridians.
6.1 (2005): 58-81. Web.
